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Hi Bloommmmm ^¬^!

It's Angel! I've also been trying to learn Italian, :D

I use Duolingo, LingQ, and StudyStack. LingQ is a bit more helpful though.

I just wanted to know what resources you use to study Italian. I feel like while what I use is helpful, I'm not actively learning something. It'd be nice to get your recommendations on how to effectively study the language — including Chinese!

hiii pokiiiie sorry for this laaate answer I've been really busy with school and stuff but here I am !

How to actually learn a language

Learning a language is exciting at first, then frustrating, then exciting again, then you feel like you’re not learning anything, then suddenly, out of nowhere, you understand something and it feels magical. But for a lot of people, that "magical" moment never really comes because they get stuck in a cycle of half-learning a little bit of Duolingo here, a few YouTube videos there, and months later, they still can’t form a full sentence.

I’ve been there. And I’ve learned that the secret isn’t just "practicing every day" or "using the right apps" it’s about knowing how to learn. Not every language works the same way, and the way you approach it changes everything. So let’s break it down properly.

1. Why Are You Learning? This Changes Everything

Before anything else, you have to ask yourself: Why do I want to learn this language? Because different reasons need different strategies.for example

If you're just learning Italian for a trip, you don’t need deep grammar knowledge. You need to train your ear, memorize key phrases, and practice pronunciation so people understand you.

If you’re planning to study in Italy, then a casual "Ciao! Come stai?" won’t cut it. You need a structured approach, real grammar knowledge, and at least a B2 level to survive in an academic setting.

If you're learning Chinese just for fun, you can take it easy with apps and light immersion. But if you ever want to work or live there, you must take it seriously Chinese isn't a language you can just "pick up" casually.

Knowing why you’re learning changes how you learn. If you only need basic conversation skills, focus on listening and speaking. If you need full fluency, you have to do the hard work grammar, writing, and structured learning.

2. The "App Trap" Why Most People Feel Stuck

A lot of people get stuck at the beginner level because they rely too much on language apps. I did this with Italian at first. I spent like the whole summer in WLINGUA and thought I was making progress, but when I tried to form a sentence on my own and yeah I found nothing stored in my brain

The problem with apps like Duolingo, LingQ, and Memrise is that they teach you words and phrases, but they don’t teach you how to think in the language. You memorize sentences, but you don’t really understand why they work the way they do. yeaaa I can say Duolingo is the like N1 app for me and it's the best for Chinese in my opinion cuz it help u memo the characters cuz they keep repeating them for u and Chinese is all about memorizing so I guarantee duo for this one

So what’s the fix? You have to combine active and passive learning:

Apps (Passive Learning) → Great for exposure but won’t make you fluent.

Textbooks (Active Learning) → Boring but necessary for real grammar and keeping ur mind organized

Speaking & Writing (Real Learning) → Forces you to produce the language, not just recognize it.

For example, when I started learning Italian seriously, I switched from just using apps to actually writing short journal entries in Italian every day. Even if my sentences were simple and full of mistakes, it forced my brain to think in Italian instead of just recognizing words. That’s when I really started to improve

3. How to Learn Based on the Language Itself

Not all languages are learned the same way. Some are easy to pick up, others will absolutely fight you every step of the way.

European Languages (Italian, Spanish, French, etc.)

🏷️ If you're learning a language that's similar to English (or another language you know), you're lucky. The grammar is different but still follows familiar patterns.

🏷️ You can skip textbooks if you just want casual fluency.

🏷️ Immersion works really well watching shows, listening to music, and reading will naturally help you pick up structure.

🏷️ The hardest part is usually verb conjugation (french have the hardest conjugation 🦅) so focus on mastering the most common tenses first.

Asian Languages or characters based languages (Chinese, Korean, Japanese .. )

🏷️ Now, if you're learning something like Chinese or Japanese, it’s a whole different story. You cannot learn these languages the same way you’d learn Italian or Spanish.

🏷️ Textbooks are necessary. Asian languages don’t follow English patterns, so you need structures (u don't have to buy them there are pdf and online one )

🏷️ Pronunciation is critical. If you don’t learn tones early in Chinese, for example, you’ll struggle to be understood.

🏷️ Characters matter more than speaking at first. With Chinese, if you only focus on speaking and ignore characters, you’ll hit a wall fast

I learned this the hard way when I started studying Chinese. At first, I tried learning the way I learned Italian listening to native speakers, trying to pick up words, avoiding grammar at first. Big mistake. Chinese doesn’t work like that. The best way is to follow a structured course with a teacher (even if it’s online) and make sure you're learning characters alongside everything else it's tiiiring at first but it worth u will found teachers in YouTube who explain Chinese course module by module don't go straight to vocabulary or trying to force yourself into writting ，start with tones and pronunciation of initial and finals (mā , jiē ... )

then u will start learning how to read pinyin the more u revise the textbook the more u listen to the language, and greetings phrases for ex the more u will start to memo the words in Pinyin u will see the real characters and u will be like yes this is how nihao look like (nihao - 你好 ）and step by step u will rise from beginner to intermediate ..

4. Speaking: The Hardest Part (But The Most Important)

Most people avoid speaking because it’s awkward and scary. But here’s the truth: If you don’t practice speaking, you will never feel confident using the language.

The trick is to start early. Even if you don’t know much, just try.

Talk to yourself. Describe what you’re doing, even in broken sentences.

Use voice notes. Record yourself speaking and compare it to native speakers.

Find a language partner. Apps like busuu (I use it for Italian ) or HelloTalk are great for casual practice.

With Italian, I was scared to speak at first. I felt like I’d sound dumb. But when I finally forced myself to have a real conversation (even though it was full of mistakes), I realized people don’t care if you mess up. They just appreciate the effort.

For Chinese, it was even harder because of the tones, but practicing with a tutor helped a lot. When learning a tonal language, you cannot guess pronunciation you need feedback.

5. The "Lost Motivation" Phase & How to Get Past It

Every language learner hits a point where they feel stuck. You’ve been studying for months, but you still don’t feel fluent. What do you do?

Switch up your method. If you’ve only been using apps, try writing. If you’ve only been writing, try speaking.

Make it fun. Watch something you actually enjoy. I watch cdrama and I try to pick random words / phrases and I keep repeating them and use them for daily talks

Track progress differently. Instead of measuring how much you don’t know, look back at what you’ve already learned.

I hit this phase with english after like it's been 2y I felt like I wasn’t improving. But then I found a book I had tried reading at the beginning and realized I could actually understand the 60% . That’s when I knew I had made real progress so to improve try to not compare urself to fluent ppl !

sources for chinese and Italian

Chinese textbook (pdf download textbook and workbook)

buusu the app (the best for Italian if u don't know how to start )

youtube channel num 1

youtube channel num 2

@bloomzone

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Coming up with a new plan that won't have to wait for May. Did nothing much, had an early breakfast and decided not to fast lol, I need to write something for substack and check my applications statuses. I was pressured to apply to unis today, but tbh I didn't think I'd be alive at 19 to even make such a decision lol. I want to bit study in the country I am currently residing in, I'd live to go abroad, I meannnn, I'm not studying Italian for shits and giggles lol... Urgh idk I'm watching The truth on Netflix rn, it's interesting kinda the same like million dollar secret.

Angela ¦ "05 ¦ Her ¦ Bi ¦ INFP ¦ Artist ¦ Did I say artist?

ABOUT :

Call me Angel / she-her. this is @angelaness — the essence of me in pixels and words.

Currently 19. Black asf. 180cm tall and very proud of it.

artist, muse, menace.

i draw myself so the world never forgets what it lost when it tried to shrink me. self-portraiture is my love letter to existence. yes I'm obsessed with art like it’s religion.

currently: painting w acrylic, cutting up old jeans, passioning my project (coming soon x) and daydreaming about a future lover I already miss.

.a shrine to girlhood that bites back.

.thoughts too tender for main.

LIKES :

graphite-stained hands. old art masters. kpop, krnb, gl + bl (biased, unashamed). vintage cams + handycam diaries. jazz loops in dim rooms. sims 2 aesthetics, messy art desks, cigarette ash in candle jar. pretty men n women who look like heartbreak. dirt, rex rats, glass hearts, and everything chicly broken. fashion that's slashed + stitched with story. solo dates, long showers, secret blogs. the art kids nobody gets but everybody wants to be. baking. pinterest + spotify combo. stray kids. ive. red velvet. DPR IAN.

DISLIKES :

✧ art theft ✧. nosy people who don’t listen. when people make me explain the magic. over-filtered lives + over-sanitized thoughts. “why don’t you smile more?”/“i don't like what you're wearing”. boys who think height intimidates me; babe, i love towering over you. always. Subconscious bigotry. when 2+ ppl are talking to me/trying to get my attention at the same time irl 💔. bad handwritting. weaponized incompetence.

DNI (DO NOT INTERACT) :

racist, ableist, queerphobic, transphobic, fatphobic, misogynistic, islamaphobic etc (obviously). if you mock kids, art, or dreams. fetishizers (i see you. i block you.). anti-oc / anti-self ship / anti-whimsy. cops + copycats. no age-inappropriate behavior. keep it classy or keep it gone.

BOUNDARIES :

i am not your therapist, your savior, or your fetish. you can trauma dump but plz provide/tell me b4 hand a warning for graphic details. don’t repost or edit my art. ask before using, actually don't use my art for ANYTHING. respect my silence. you can flirt, but know your place. don't be a dumb keyboard warrior spreading hate on my blog, you're just a fictional thing in my phone and i bite back. not gently. usually.

if you stay, stay sweet.

stay strange. stay whimsy.

stay #angelaness.

if you vibed, reblog. if you didnt, scroll. (leave a like blessing tho)

220325

A modelling community invited me to join teehee 💞

Did nothing much today except respond to messages about modelling castings etc, was a slow day, thinking of entering a fasting and exercising run again.

Idk what else to add... Hmm... I love YouTube, OK bye?

how to isolate and grow⋆.ೃ࿔*:･💶

quick disclaimer : when i say "isolate" i dont mean the negative connotation of self isolation where you push everyone away, i mean the laying back and rly focusing and tapping into urself BY yourself.

accessibility : limit people's accessibility to you, or narrow down how many people you allow to access you. ur energy is SACRED ur time is a privilege. its important that ur no longer looking for outlets in people.

during this time of stepping back and being super picky with how and who u spend ur time with its the perfect opportunity to separate urself from the toxicity that some people in ur life might bring. in that same breath, its easier said for friends then it is for family members because when u think isolation ur probably thinking of being a home-body which is a part of it. but if ur home is whats making u sick then try and spend time AWAY of the home to do whatever u need to do.

self awareness and responsibility : take a moment and be truly objective with urself. practice having the difficult conversations with urself. u know ur goals, but are u the person that can have those goals? and if not, how can u get to become that person.

this is also the time to address things that you've been sweeping under the rug. address anything thats starting to become a problem and address bigger problems in ur life. we wanna be able to take responsibility for ourselves and PROBLEM SOLVE. be super clear on what u wanna focus on during ur self isolation period and WHY you are choosing to do this.

find a mentor : find someone who resonates with you, whether it be online or in person, who is living the life that YOU wanna live or living a life similar to one that u wanna live. u dont have to have just one mentor, it can be multiple mentors for different aspects of ur life that u wanna improve. ur mentors dont even need to know you honestly, just someone u look up to

detox ur brain : mental diet. mindset is EVERYTHING as you know if you've been consuming my content lately. everything and i mean EVERYTHING begins in the brain. the thoughts that u think today will be what u experience tomorrow. speak to urself nicely, throw away old thoughts that dont align with ur dreams and replace them with positive ones thru repetition, fixed attention and practice

do brain dumps before u go to bed, its good to get out all of the thoughts in ur head before u go to sleep, out of ur brain and onto a piece of paper or something else in general. it doesn't have to be in a negative connotation either, write down ideas that pass thru ur head, goals, inspirations etc.

clean out : anything that u tend to cling to, whether its devices, drugs, drinking etc. practice fasting from it. it doesn't have to be extreme, just taking a break from it REGULARLY will improve it so much. an analogy i like to use for gradual change like this is with a rubber band. if u stretch the rubber band as far as it can go too quickly then it'll break, however if u gradually stretch the rubber band little by little, you can stretch it super far and it won't break.

experimentation : while ur self isolating this is the perfect opportunity to experiment with ur physical. dye ur hair a color that you've always been wanting it to. grow ur hair a couple inches, take extra good care of ur skin, experiment with different clothing styles. become ur own MUSE.

with that being said i wish everyone luck and blessings as you isolate and grow 🫶🏽

SPOILERS MAYBE

8 cried while watching SZN 5 ending and SZN 6 first episode..... Chat I am not OK 💔

I love House (and Hugh Laurie himself) too much now💔💔. I just want to hold his face and tell him it's alright even tho he'll see thru my bullshit 😭💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 (guys I'm OK, I swear. I'm not weird lol)

My friend and I yesterday ><

I love your blog hun it’s so pretty 🌸

Oh em gee hiiii Alice angel, you have a pretty blog yourself too, you're so kind >_< !!! 💗x

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Ways to Shift the Angle || It's all about perspective.

1. Go outside ugly.

No makeup. No cute outfit. Just step out. Feel the wind. Notice the clouds like they’re watching you back. You’re not there to be seen, you’re there to see, aka you're right as a HUMAN.

2. Drink water with dramatic flair.

Pour it into your prettiest glass. Add lemon, cucumber, or mint if you’re extra. Sip it like it’s holy. Because it is. Hydration is a rebuke to the decay.

3. Unfollow the perfect. Follow the real.

Curate your feed like a gallery. If it doesn’t make you dream bigger or breathe deeper, cut it. You become what you consume.

My moto has always been See it, be it.

4. Romanticize something stupid.

Fold laundry like a French film heroine. Wash dishes like you’re in a music video. Make it art. You don’t need permission, you have free will!!!!

5. Make something and let it suck.

Doodle, paint, sing badly, dance worse, write shit poetry and convince yourself you're freaking Edgar Allan Poe. Expression is not a talent contest, it’s your soul stretching its arms. There so many ways to do that.

6. Touch grass... but like, really touch it.

Like fr. Sit with your bare legs on the ground. Let dirt under your nails(you can clean it l8r, it ain't gonna kill you) Be wild. You’re not a screen. You’re skin and blood and thunder.

7. Talk to yourself with tenderness.

You’ve survived every ugly day so far. That deserves softness. Praise yourself out loud like you would your best friend.

8. Write a letter to the girl you’ll be in a year.

Tell her what you hope for. What you’re scared of. What you’re trying. Then seal it. Hide it. Come back to it later and weep at your own growth.

9. Watch a movie you loved at 13.

Feel how it hits different. That’s -perspective- seeing the same story with new eyes, older eyes, wiser eyes.

10. Do something the algorithm doesn’t care about.

Learn to knit. Bake bread (!!!!). Read a dusty book. These aren’t for clout. They’re for soul.

You don’t need a full rebrand. You need a tilt. A reframe. A second glance.

Your life isn’t just a reel of wasted time. It’s a painting in progress. And even the mess matters. Every shade. Every smudge. Every layer.

Perspective is more than a trick of the eye. It’s a rebellion. A soft uprising against despair. It says, yes, this sucks right now, but it’s not the whole story. You are not the rot. You are the artist holding the brush, choosing what to do next.

I don't believe everything happens for a reason. But I do believe in reshaping the meaning of things that happen.

So next time you’re lying there, staring at the ceiling like it holds answers, waiting for a sign, turn the paper. Turn yourself. A few degrees is all it takes.

And suddenly, what looked like the end… is just the start of something strange and beautiful.

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Got a sudoku puzzles book, I think I've completed intellectual girl status. I don't have much to say tho,

Peace out x